Jazz-Clippers Preview: 3 Storylines to Watch

Year 2 of the Will Hardy era has arrived. On Sunday, the Utah Jazz will face the Los Angeles Clippers to open the preseason in Hawaii. The game proceeds will support the Maui Strong Fund to benefit wildfire relief.

Anticipation will be running higher in this contest compared to the preseason openers of the past. Let’s take a look at the top three storylines heading into the game.

Starting Backcourt to be Revealed?

The pair chosen to start preseason Game 1 will most likely be the ones beginning the game against the Sacramento Kings on opening night. It’s still anybody’s guess who will get the call.

Does rookie Keyonte George get the start at the point guard position, or will Hardy choose to go with a veteran presence in Kris Dunn or Talen Horton-Tucker? Is Jordan Clarkson reverting back to his old sixth-man role?

Where is Collin Sexton in the pecking order? No matter how it shakes out, there’ll be plenty to discuss after the game.

Taylor Hendricks & Bryce Sensabaugh's Debut

After missing this year's Summer League, the pair of first-round picks are healthy and will be ready to play. It’s still unclear where Hendricks fits in, but Jazz fans should get a good look at the No. 9 overall pick of the 2023 NBA draft.

With how deep Utah is heading into the year, it’s plausible both players will spend some time in the G-League. Either way, Jazz Nation will get some clues on what to expect from both players to start the year.

Keyonte George Watch

Whether George is named the starter or not, the No. 1 storyline is how he performs against bonafide NBA talent. In this year's Summer League, George averaged 18.7 points and 5.3 assists in just 24.3 minutes per contest.

It all feels like when Donovon Mitchell emerged onto the scene as a rookie in 2017. Mitchell was able to lock down the starting shooting guard position by the 12th game of the season. Does George get inserted into the starting lineup before then?

Tip-off is at 7:00 MDT.

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